The present invention relates to a printer, copier, facsimile apparatus or similar image forming apparatus and more particularly to a finisher operatively connectable to an image forming apparatus and including a binding device that stacks papers carrying images thereon and then binds them together.
A finisher for stacking papers on which images are formed by, e.g., a copier or a printer and then stapling them together at a preselected point has been proposed in various forms in the past. The stapler has customarily driven a staple into a paper stack in parallel to the trailing edge of the paper stack (horizontal stapling hereinafter). Today, a stapler capable of selectively performing horizontal stapling or oblique stapling, i.e., driving a staple obliquely into one corner portion of a paper stack is available, as proposed in, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open publication Nos. 9-136760 and 10-181985. The staple with this capability can execute oblique stapling with either one of the leading edge and trailing edge of a paper stack, as desired. However, the recent digitization of an image forming apparatus has allowed images to be rotated and therefore allowed the stapler to perform oblique stapling only at the rear of paper stacks. The stapler can therefore deal with most sizes and orientations of papers in practice. In fact, some products available on the market execute the oblique stapling only at the rear of paper stacks.
The current trend in the finishers art is toward the replenishment of staples from the rear end of the stapler or binding means. This, however, brings about a problem that the stapler expected to staple the trailing edge of a paper stack is oriented in the direction of paper conveyance. In light of this, the finisher may be constructed such that the stapler can be pulled out together with a binding portion at the time of replenishment of staples, as proposed in the past. This kind of configuration, however, increases the number of parts constituting the finisher, complicates the construction and thereby increases the cost although it promotes easy staple replenishment. The above Laid-Open Publication Nos. 9-136760 and 10-181989 propose to staple either one of the front side and rear side of a paper stack, as desired, and to rotate the stapler by about 45xc2x0 at the time of staple replenishment for promoting easy replenishment.
In the above conventional configuration, the axis of rotation of the stapler adjoins a clincher where a stapler is to be ejected, so that a paper stack can be stapled to substantially the same depth during both of horizontal stapling and oblique stapling. This, however, renders the front part of the finisher noticeably bulky.
Technologies relating to the present invention are also disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 6-122291 and 9-235070 and Japanese Patent No. 2,846,376.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a finisher having a miniature configuration despite the rotation of binding means for oblique binding or staple replenishment.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a finisher allowing staples to be replaced by extremely easy operation.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a finisher capable of setting a waiting position where stapling is not performed for thereby reducing loads on software and obviating mishandling.
In accordance with the present invention, in a finisher including at least one binding device for binding a paper stack, and rotating the binding device relative to the paper stack to thereby bind the paper stack either horizontally or obliquely, the binding device is supported by a support body including two axes of rotation relative to the paper stack.
The binding means may be rotatably supported by the support body such that a staple replacing portion included in the binding means faces an opening formed in the finisher.